[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40988-40989]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15416]


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NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION


Notice of Permit Applications Received Under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-541)

AGENCY: National Science Foundation.

ACTION: Notice of Permit Applications Received under the Antarctic 
Conservation Act of 1978, Pub. L. 95-541.

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SUMMARY: The National Science Foundation (NSF) is required to publish 
notice of permit applications received to conduct activities regulated 
under the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978. NSF has published 
regulations under the Antarctic Conservation Act at Title 45 part 670 
of the Code of Federal Regulations. This is the required notice of 
permit applications received.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit written data, comments, 
or views with respect to this permit application by August 6, 2004. 
This application may be inspected by interested parties at the Permit 
Office, address below.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Permit Office, Room 755, 
Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson 
Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia 22230.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nadene G. Kennedy at the above address 
or (703) 292-7405.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Science Foundation, as directed 
by the Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (Public Law 95-541), as 
amended by the Antarctic Science, Tourism and Conservation Act of 1996, 
has developed regulations for the establishment of a permit system for 
various activities in Antarctica and designation of certain animals and 
certain geographic areas requiring special protection. The regulations 
establish such a permit system to designate Antarctic Specially 
Protected Areas.
    The applications received are as follows:

1. Applicant

    Permit Application No. 2005-008, Mahlon C. Kennicutt, II, Director, 
Geochemical & Environmental Research Group, Texas A&M University, 833 
Graham Road, College Station, TX 77845.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Enter Antarctic Specially Protected Area. The applicant proposes to 
enter Cape Bird (ASPA  116) and Arrival Heights (ASPA 
 122) to collect soil samples and take permafrost measurements 
as part of the ongoing environmental monitoring program. These sites 
were chosen because of the nature of their geology, climatic influences 
and topography. One site will service as a reference control for the 
study of the temporal and spatial scales of various types of 
disturbances in and around McMurdo Station, Antarctica.

Location

    Cape Bird (ASPA  116) and Arrival Heights (ASPA  
122), Ross Island, Antarctica

Dates

    November 21, 2004 to December 31, 2004

2. Applicant

    Permit Application No. 2005-009, John C. Priscu, Department of Land 
Resources and Environmental Sciences, 334 Leon Johnson Hall, Montana 
State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Introduce non-indigenous species to Antarctica. The applicant plans 
to import bacterial isolates, originally collected from the McMurdo Dry 
Valleys, and insert fluorescent green protein (GFPs) marker genes. The 
marker genes are expressed in the cytoplasm as a colored fluroscence 
enabling them to be seen inside phytoflagellates when viewed under 
epiflourescence microscopy with the appropriate filter sets. The marker 
genes will express different colors (red, green, yellow, cyano). By 
using mixtures of these bacteria, it can be determined if 
phytoflagellates are selectively feeding on different strains of 
bacteria. If they are selective, then their grazing may impact on the 
diversity of the bacterial communities of the Dry Valley lakes. 
Experiments will be conducted in the Crary Lab at McMurdo Station and 
all waste from experiments will be destroyed for disposal.

[[Page 40989]]

Location

    McMurdo Dry Valleys and Crary Science and Engineering Center, 
McMurdo Station, Ross Island

Dates

    November 01, 2004 to December 31, 2005

3. Applicant

    Permit Application No. 2005-010, W. Berry Lyons, Byrd Polar 
Research Center, The Ohio State University, 108 Scott Hall, 1090 
Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210.

Activity for Which Permit Is Requested

    Entry into Antarctic Specially Protected Area. The applicant 
proposes to enter and camp at Cape Hallet (ASPA  106), to 
conduct work in collaboration with the Antarctic New Zealand Latitude 
Gradient Project and as an extension of the McMurdo Dry Valleys Long-
Term Ecological Research project. The applicant will perform routine 
maintenance and download data from the automated weather installed in 
the area in 2003. In addition, water samples will be collected for 
chemical analysis, as well as snow samples and soil samples. The team 
will also assist the New Zealanders in collecting debris for removal 
from the site.

Location

    Cape Hallett, Victoria Land, Antarctica (ASPA  106)

Dates

    October 01, 2004 to February 18, 2005

Nadene G. Kennedy,
Permit Officer, Office of Polar Programs.
[FR Doc. 04-15416 Filed 7-6-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7555-01-M